Oh, my, pet bloggers,
here's a story that will blow your steam valves right
out of your ear holes. You'll say (aloud, maybe), "What
idiots!" And some of you saltier folks may add an appropriate
epithet or two. Frankly, this situation shows, once
again, that mankind is not the reigning brain on this
planet.
This comes to us from Hope Hodges of Rockwall, a volunteer
with Central Texas Dachshund Rescue. The disturbing
story is that of Koa, a tiny 5-month-old mini-dachshund,
and it is, sadly, the story of another brainless human
event. Read on because you may be able to help get the
villains into court.
Hope writes, "CTDR recently got custody of a precious
little dachshund puppy who suffered severe head trauma
when her 'owners' allowed their son to hold her to his
chest and do a belly flop off the diving board into
their pool. Incredibly, they left her in the backyard
where she screamed in pain for 3 days before a neighbor
finally stepped in to help."
This little dog suffered severe trauma - the kind that
you wouldn't wish on an enemy. Her head was battered,
her body wrecked. She wouldn't eat and lost weight down
to 3 pounds.
The rescue group is slowly bringing her back.
She's safe now. She's being fostered in Austin. She
responds to voices by "opening her eyes REAL wide,"
Hope says, "But she doesn't move her head or neck. CTDR
is working with a place that builds custom carts for
wobbly dogs and we hope to get Koa fitted for one soon."
And the dog is beginning to "eat like a little piggy."
The rescue group, which is footing the enormous bill
for all of these medical things, wants an ID on the
people who mistreated the dog. "CTDR is very interested
in pursuing cruelty charges," Hope says. She also writes,
"This is not just a case of neglect. It's out-and-out
cruelty. This child and his parents need to be held
accountable for what they've done."
To see more about Koa and more about other rescued
dachshunds, go to www.ctdr.org where you can also tip
the group about the ID of the people who wrecked this
little dog.
You have to figure (and you have to hope) that if enough
people face legal problems because they mistreat animals,
then maybe word will get around and some of the less-dim
of Earth's inexhaustible legion of nitwits will quit
being mean.
Larry Powell is a columnist with the
Dallas Morning News. He devotes his online column to
helping animals who've been mistreated, misplaced, and
injured. His pet column can be found at: http://www.dallasnews.com/pets.
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